A guest blog post from @TypingGiff
I went on the Corrie tour recently and as a Platt fanatic, I had to grab a photo at Trim Up North. But it did make me think: whatever happened to the barbers? I remember Audrey had to sell up to buy back her house after the whole Stephen saga, but beyond that, I can’t recall how the show bid farewell to the beloved barbershop. So after a quick Google, I found this update on coronationstreet.fandom.com:
“The business ceased trading and put up for sale in November 2023 with the keys being handed over in January 2024.”
I remember watching the aftermath of Stephen’s storyline and Audrey telling David and Maria that she would have to sell up. There were some verbal protests, but other than that, not much else, which is disappointing considering the extreme actions that David took to buy the barbers in the first place.
Trim Up North made its debut in 2019, following David’s discovery that Nick had stolen £80K from their Gran. In exchange for his silence, David managed to convince Nick to invest in a new barbershop, but their scheme was eventually foiled, and David transferred ownership to Audrey to make amends.
With that context, you would expect more efforts (particularly from David) to keep the barbers. Corrie has a long history of dramatic twists, emotional farewells, and complex character arcs that keep us coming back for more. However, Trim Up North’s ending feels pretty underwhelming considering its origins. It’s understandable though – with every second of screen time counting on a show like Corrie, which covers several stories in just 1 hour (ads not included), you have to be selective over what elements to explore and which parts to leave to the viewer’s imagination.
And then there’s Vin Diesel the Weasel. It was a sad day when Maria casually mentioned that she had chucked him in the bin. Again, this was once a beloved gift (from Shona, I believe), and I even remember an episode in early 2020 when Lily or David the dog broke it whilst Shona was in hospital and David was upset about it. So for it to be discarded so casually in an episode further down the line feels odd (or maybe I attach too much sentiment to inanimate objects – that’s a possibility!).
But hey, the good news is that someone must have plucked Vinny out of the bin because you can now see him at the Coronation Street experience in their new exhibition. And Trim Up North is still in business as well, you can see it in the background of shots when Sarah leaves her flat. So who knows, maybe one day the Platts will buy it back? It would be great to see it return on screen someday, as it’s one of those unique locations on the street that attracts a mix of scenes and characters.
What are your thoughts? Do you miss Trim Up North, or are you happy to see more scenes back in Audrey’s salon again?
Who Owns What in the soaps is so fluid anyway. Gail lost her house when Lewis Archer conned her out of it, David bought it, and already owns it, yet suddenly Gail seems to own it again. Carla was facing down bankruptcy when Stephen ripped her off and Jenny and Daisy stole her money to buy the pub, yet suddenly she's rich enough to buy Number 8. I imagine at some point they'll retcon again and David owned Trim Up North all along.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I miss the barbers, I'm not sure why they got rid of it at all.
Justice for Vin Diesel the Weasel! Also, it was great to see David the Dog getting lots of pats from David (the hairdresser) and Nick the other week.
ReplyDeleteAhh yes, I loved that scene, so cute! David the Dog deserves more screen time or a spin off haha!
ReplyDeleteThanks Fluttershy. I thought exactly the same. Was beginning to doubt my memory.
ReplyDeleteI thought Gail bought the house back with her dad's inheritance? I've no idea who owns Trim up north and who owns Ed bailey's builder's yard, either. Who has taken over from Chesney in the kebab shop (and Beth in the factory) and how come Jenny is begging Gemma to do more shifts when she already pays herself, plus Daisy, Ryan, Glenda and Sean! It 's a little boozer that offers very limited meals. I just can't see how it makes so much to pay all those staff. I'm also amazed that Roy is able to pay himself, plus Shona, Alex, Nina and Bernie, when it is basically a scruffy, down at heel cafe. In reality, no- one would go in!
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